State to address key border issues in meet with Bhutan

Photo Courtesy: Destination North Bengal

RAJDEEP MONDAL, MP, 4 Dec 2024, Jalpaiguri: The state government is set to meet with Bhutanese officials on December 12 and 13 in Chalsa, Dooars, to discuss a range of issues affecting the border areas of three North Bengal districts. 

The Border District Coordination Committee meeting will focus on flood control, mining, landslides, law & order and commercial expansion in the Bhutanese border regions of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Kalimpong.
The meeting will be attended by district administrations and police from both sides of the border, with Jalpaiguri Divisional Commissioner Anup Agarwal representing India. The three districts, located along the Bhutanese border, face numerous environmental and cross-border challenges. 

The primary topic of discussion will be flood management, with particular focus on the recurring floods caused by heavy rainfall and the flow of silt and debris from Bhutan’s hills. Affected areas include Jhalong, Tode, Tangta and Bindu in Kalimpong, as well as Banarhat and Nagrakata blocks in Jalpaiguri and Birpara, Madarihat, Kalchini and Kumargram blocks in Alipurduar. 

Amitangshu Chakraborty, advisor to the Indian Tea Planters Association, highlighted the environmental impact, stating: “The muddy water mixed with dolomite, gravel, sand and stones from Bhutan’s hills floods riverbeds, worsening the flood situation annually. 

The runoff is also damaging tea gardens in Dooars, which has been reported to the authorities multiple times. We hope these issues will be addressed during the meeting.” 

The meeting comes after recent protests over the alleged torture of teenagers by Bhutanese police at the Bhutan-India border in Nagrakata. 

Additionally, smuggling of Bhutanese liquor, petrol, kerosene and cough syrup through the border areas of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar continues to be a concern. A key discussion at the meeting will be the ongoing project to lay a Railway line connecting Banarhat in Dooars to Shamsi in Bhutan. 

A survey has begun and the project will require land from several tea gardens in Banarhat. Government sources indicate that the Railway expansion will also be addressed during the meeting. 

Mining practices in Bhutan’s mountainous regions will be another critical topic. Improper disposal of mining debris blocks water runoff, causing flooding in India. Jalpaiguri District Magistrate Shama Parveen said: “The Divisional Commissioner will lead our delegation and the meeting will focus on resolving key issues, including through field visits.” 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/cm-urges-international-filmmakers-to-collaborate-with-artistes-from-bengal-589451?infinitescroll=1